Hello Simple Mills

Welcome to this dedicated gallery of my work, I hope you will enjoy and it will give you a perspective on my work as a designer and a communicator, as well as a quick assessment of a variety of my skills.

Unless specifically indicated, I have worked on all aspects of these projects, from the strategy to the final product. Where other professionals were involved, being printers or developers, I have managed and coordinated all efforts and interactions.

Most projects were developed with limited budgets and resources.   

Mulberry studio - Branding, digital design, marketing communication, copywriting, digital marketing. 
Mint Garden Café - Still life photography
WordPress Translation day 3 - Branding, digital design, marketing communication, copywriting, event design.
La Bautique - Retail. Branding, environmental design, print & digital design, copywriting, social media.
Mater - organic wine labels - Naming, branding, graphic design.
Mint Garden Café -  - hospitality/lifestyle. Print & digital design, social media, copywriting.
Studio Gavioli - Motion media design.
Biooozone - Naming, branding, packaging, copywriting.
With love from Umbria - Event concept and production, integrated communication design.

I remain at your disposal for any additional information you might desire or for any feedback you will like to share with me. Below is my CV.

thank you :) 

raffaella


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raffaella isidori: curriculum vitae
creative direction  brand & communication design  integrated marketing communication  photography & motion media  content design & curation  writing, editing & translating
Milano ■ Milton Keynes ■ Boston


■ executive summary 

25+ years in the field of integrated communication design for small and medium-sized companies shaped me into a “full stack” communication designer, with a wide range of experience, both generalist and specific, and with a multicultural background

From strategy to implementation; from designing brands to designing events, passing through graphic
& web design; print & digital design and production; marketing; advertising; writing, translating &
trans-creating; photography; motion media design and video editing; social media management; and
content design & curation–my approach is simple: research, attention, creativity, professionalism,
efficiency, care, practicality, leanness and sustainability. My motto: design is problem solving.

I think laterally, I keep an holistic approach, I love details, and I take pride in working like a craftsman.

My experience allows me, when opportune, to pointedly manage and coordinate other experts, to
extend my professional abilities to deliver sustainable and effective solutions, as well as teammates;
and to mentor junior creatives and associates.

■ as a designer, I place myself in the golden nexus between perfection and delivery, striving for the necessary balance between pushing the boundaries and finding the best solution, welcoming the challenges as opportunities and never losing sight of sustainability;  

■ as a consultant and a trainer, I work to liaise my clients to the complex world of the 
modern forms of communication and their requirements;

■ as an executive creative coach, I flank top managers and decision makers in their communication needs, both internal and external, and for the companies they run; 

■ as a digital presentation designer, I create high-impact digital presentations;

■ as a teacherI strive to endow my students with the critical thinking and curious approach that, I find, are at the base of a successful problem solver;

■ as a writer and a translator, my goal is to use words to further sustain the overall mission of the project, so they synergistically enhance the context and support the mission;

■ as a , jhkjjkhkh;

My multicultural competences, combined with the other abilities, allow me to be the “ideal” communication consultant for foreign companies aiming at the Italian market, as well as for Italian firms interested in reaching foreign countries (focus: North America) in their efforts to localize and internazionalize.

Lastly, a penchant for “a job well done” along with a concious attention to the possibilities tied to the available budget, are personal traits of which I am very proud, and which allow me to stand on the side of both large companies as well as small entrepreneurs aimimg at getting the most out of their communication endeavours.

 what I do: 
branding & communication design
research & strategy naming  brand design: personal, corporate & product corporate & product identity corporate communication  digital presentation design personal branding communication design 
print & digital design
graphic design  web design & production (traditional, mobile, RWD) UI & UX design blog design  infographic design  editorial & catalogue design (print & digital) packaging design  POP/BTL design  signage (internal and external) vehicle & accessories personalisation
integrated & marketing communication
strategic consulting marketing design advertising: print, web, outdoor/large format motion media design
writing, translating & content design
copywriting specialistic translations & interpreting (ita/eng) cultural & linguistic localization  trancreation content design & curation 
photography, video & motion media design
portrait, location and fashion photography motion media design  video editing
promotion, organization & training
event design (concept, production, management) exhibit design  educational: seminars & workshops executive coaching

 professional experience

since 1998 raffaella isidori thesign - founder/creative director

raffaella isidori thesign is a creative lab for integrated communication & brand building where experience and tradition meet new technologies, new media and new forms of interaction. 

amongst the latest clients/projects:

Since 01/17 ■ The Skill Nursery - Il Vivaio delle Competenze - service design, communication
A training and coaching project, designed specifically for a non-digital-native business target , focused primarily on branding, communication and linguistics. #training #coaching #ServiceDesign
goals: designing a service aimed at a niche target, creating an appropriate image, establish a trustworthy brand.
value provided: successfully built the project, the platform and the services, designed an appealing and memorable brand image; currently developing and implementing the marketing strategy.

■ Since 09/16 ■ Mulberry Studio, Cambridge, Mass, USA - branding & digital design, copywriting
Work remotely with US-based transcription boutique to revamp the brand, create a stunning online presence and extend market reach. #strategy #branding #webdesign #WordPress - see project
goals: redefining the brand through a new image and online presence, to revitalize and strengthen it.
value provided: successfully built a new contemporary and appealing corporate image and online presence; currently developing and implementing a digital marketing strategy to expand the market reach.

■ Since 04/15 ■ La Bauttega, Bormio, Italy - brand & communication design
Branding, print and digital design, advertising; signage design; and social media presence. #strategy #communication_design #integrated_communication - see project
goals: establishing the new brand locally and online, through a unique image and a sound marketing strategy.
value provided: successfully built a recognizable and appealing brand image and communication campaign (locally and online) through a wise use of the limited available resources.

■ 01/14-09/16 ■ Mint Garden Café, Milano, Italy - brand & communication design & management
Branding, print and digital design, photography, marketing, content design, social media strategy and management for centrally located "food&flowers bistrot". #strategy #graphic_design #photography #print #digital #web #social_media - see project
goals: establishing and reinforcing the brand by providing a sustainable sound strategy and all the necessary implementing assets.
value provided: very successfully established the brand through a very personal and contemporary image (print and digital); created and managed the social media presence, from content creation to customer relations.

01/15-06/15 - widerfi, london, uk - branding & corporate image
Worked remotely with Lithuanian-born tech startup, to identify and establish brand and corporate image. #strategy #logo_design #communication_design - see project
goals: establish the new brand image and the visual guidelines for the company 
value provided: working remotely with CEO I created a brand image that satisfied their requirements, conveyed the company's key values and reflected its mission.

03/15-09/15 - florence's resort, freetown, sl corporate image & digital design
Worked remotely with Sierra-Leonian holiday resort, to rebrand and create appealing digital communication. #strategy #webdesign #WordPress - see project
goals: provide the client with a brand image and a website that reflects the resort's high quality services and stunning location 
value provided: working remotely with owners, I created a brand image and a website that perfectly conveys this amazing resort in Sierra Leone.


 teaching experiences
As a teacher, my goal is my students' holistic growth as designers, professionals and human beings: through design thinking and problem solving, I lead them through the procedures so they can understand the process.

■ Since 2014 - acme, accademia di belle arti, novara - professor: brand design; integrated communication
■ 2014-2016 - polimi, politecnico di milano - dipartimento di design - lecturer 
■ 2004-2007 - ied - istituto europeo di design, milano - professor: history of scenic design for events


 other professional experiences 
■ 2006/2009 - ratio consulta spa, milano - image & communication manager
jan/oct 2002 - with love from Umbria, USA/Canada - event design & production
■ 1998/1999 - barabino & partners, milano - senior graphic designer
■ 1997/1998 - landò-nardi, milano - senior art director
■ 1995/1997 - italiana di comunicazione, milano - senior art director
■ 1993/1995 - armando testa, milano - art director
■ 1991-1992 - mccann-erickson, new york - junior art director


■ education:
■ 2016 - Interaction Design Specialization - in progress 
Coursera - University of California, San Diego
■ 2008 – 2013 - Master of Arts: Motion Media Design - Broadcast Design Dept.
SCAD - Savannah College Of Art And Design - Savannah GA
awards & recognition: Honor scholarship recipient
■ 1988 – 1991 - B.F.A. - Advertising Design, Summa Cum Laudae
FIT - the Fashion Institute Of Technology, New York, NY
awards & recognition: Medal of Honor recipient, Dean's List
■ 1986 – 1988 - AAA - Photography, Magna Cum Laudae
FIT - the Fashion Institute Of Technology, New York, NY

■ languages:
English (Native) ■ Italian (Native) ■ French (Intermediate)

top skills
art direction ■ ■ ■ 
brand design ■ ■ ■ 
coaching & mentoring ■ ■ 
communication design ■ ■ ■ 
concepts & storytelling ■ ■ ■ 
content design & curation ■ ■ ■ 
copy writing ■ ■ 
creative direction ■ ■ ■ 
design ■ ■ ■ 
digital & web design ■ ■ ■ 
html & css ■ ■ 
graphic design ■ ■ ■ 
motion media design ■ ■ 
photography ■ ■ ■ 
presentation design ■ ■ ■ 
print & editorial design ■ ■ ■ 
project management ■ ■ ■ 
prototyping ■ ■ ■ 
strategy & marketing ■ ■ 
translation & l10n ■ ■ ■ 
user experience design ■ ■ 
writing & editing ■ ■ ■ 

 software:
adobe creative suite ■ ■ ■ 
prototyping tools ■ ■ ■
presentation design tools ■ ■ ■ 
microsoft office suite ■ ■  
remote work tools ■ ■  
SMM & DEM tools ■ ■  

 soft skills:
commitment ■ clarity ■ confidence ■ courage ■ critical thinking ■ curiosity ■ determination ■ design thinking ■ flexibility ■ friendliness ■ honesty ■ humor ■ leadership ■ multilingual & multicultural ■ project management ■ research ■ respect ■ responsibility ■ trustworthiness ■ sensitivity ■ sympathy

 interests & objectives
My interests and objectives for the future span in the fields of product design, research, interaction design, data visualization, and linguistics, as in academics and in the study of behavioral science
My passion for learning and teaching fuels ambitions of a future in Research, particularly in the exploration (and in the exploitation) of the interactions between creativity, design and technology.

 personal characteristics              
Versatile, coherent, dependable and highly organized practical, logical, analytical, and detail oriented
strategic, far-sighted and lateral thinker creative, passionate, curios and nonconformist serious,
tenacious, resilient and loyal empathetic, sensible, reasonable and direct cool under pressure
fast thinking and rapid in action excellent sense of aesthetics capable to handle complex situations
and contexts excellent verbal, written & visual communication  Virgo sun, Aquarius rising  INFJ.

I love: things done well ■ design, in all its forms, and in its principles  typography  reading & writing  learning & teaching  being funny  my furred family ■ rugby  my friends  photography  good company  misfits  cooking & eating  aromatherapy ■ cool tech stuff  discovering places, roads, and stuff I don’t know  trying to keep an holistic vision of the world, of life... and of human beings.

■ volunteering & personal projects
 Supporter of open source and active contributor in both the International and the Italian WordPress
Communities, primarily as a WP Polyglot; as well as localization volunteer for Ted and Coursera.
 Organizer, with the role of Lead Design (digital, web, communication, motion media and data
visualization) of the WordPress Translation Day 3 global event.
 Believer in collaborative work and in the need to protect and empower women worldwide.
 Pastor of a large furred family, I do all I can to help and sustain animal shelters.


 contacts
raffaella@raffaellaisidori.com
skype: zetaraffix
Italian mobile & instant messaging: +39.335.100.9000
US mobile: +1.720.305.3007



■ ■ advanced
■ ■ ■ expert




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